Egg-Lady
The Story of Daniela Mahoney
The story of Daniela Mahoney chronicles the life of an ambitious woman who embarked on a challenging journey from communist Czechoslovakia to West Germany and later to the United States in search of freedom, hoping to realize her childhood dreams. This is a tale of a determined individual who refused to give up and against all the odds continued to fight, struggle and eventually succeed. In spite of a personal tragedy and professional setbacks, Daniela continued to work and study systematically to reach her goals. Daniela is professionally diverse, as her talents range widely from linguistics to precision engraving, from teaching folk arts to geriatric social work.
A great proponent of higher education, Daniela strived to obtain University level degrees in the United States later in her life facing hardship as a non traditional student, working full time. Although it was important to Daniela as an immigrant to demostrate achievement and to attain a higher socioeconomic status to honor the wishes of her ancestors, she could never turn away from the art of egg decorating. She could never stop expressing her artistic freedom and her imagination to create original concepts, such as unique egg designs, children’s books and cultural educational programs.
This year, 2012, marks the 30th Anniversary of Daniela’s arrival to the United States and she laughs saying: “ As I have earned my University degrees, I have graduated from an Egg-lady to and Executive (Eggs-ecutive)”.
The Story
Born in Prague, Czech Republic, Daniela Sipkova first experienced traditional egg decorating as a child during Easter. Under the guidance of her grandmother she learned the basic was resistant technique and practiced the craft as a seasonal hobby during her childhood and adolescence.
As a young adult, she studied foreign languages and international business in Prague, hoping to work for the foreign services of the Czechoslovak Communist government. After Daniela’s uncle and aunt escaped to Switzerland as political refugees however, she was unable to pass the required political clearance for a government job and started working as a receptionist in a hotel in downtown Prague.
In 1980 Daniela and her mother fled Czechoslovakia and settled in West Germany. Since Daniela spoke five foreign languages, she worked as a freelance translator and interpreter. In 1982, while working in an automotive trade show as an interpreter in Frankfurt, Germany, she met Patrick Mahoney, who was seeking merchandise for his auto parts stores in Portland, Oregon. He not only found new products for his stores, but also a wife. They have been married since spring of 1983.
In the United States Daniela returned to traditional egg decorating at Easter time as a hobby and soon developed the craft into a full time business. Over the past 29 years Daniela participated in hundreds of art shows, craft shows and ethnic festivals nationwide. She also developed educational programs to teach cultural crafts as part of the Czech and Slovak heritage preservation in community based settings. She became a resident artist for Young Audiences of Oregon and Washington and the Regional Arts & Culture Council in Portland, Oregon.
Daniela is known for organizing large scale egg decorating events for children, such as “1000 eggs with 1000 children in four hours” . . .
Daniela has also published several children’s coloring and activity books:
Czech Republic
Czech, Moravian and Slovak costumes paper dolls
Czech, Moravian and Slovak costumes coloring book
Czech and Slovak Castles and Palaces
Daniela’s daughter Teresa followed in her mother’s footsteps teaching egg decorating in schools and libraries. Teresa currently lives in New York and is enrolled in the Columbia University Master’s program of Journalism hoping to work in the field of digital media and documentary film production.
Daniela’s son, Patrick, although autistic, also learned how to decorate eggs. Teresa and Patrick represent the fourth generation of this remarkable family, devoted to preserving and sharing a dynamic folk tradition.
Daniela originally used the wax resistant method of egg decorating, but since 1987 has been using the engraving technique. Over time she gravitated from traditional designs inspired by the Czech and Slovak traditions to novelty designs, such as bridges, lighthouses and even the Statue of Liberty. Her egg ornaments are sold nationwide in museums, galleries and specialty gift stores.
As a highlight of her artistic career, Daniela was invited to demonstrate egg decorating at Ellis Island Museum Giftstore in November of 2011. As she traveled on a ferry from New York Harbor to Ellis Island with two large suitcases full of egg ornaments on a cold, windy November day, she thought with compassion of the millions of immigrants who had to endure tremendous hardships crossing the rough waters of the Atlantic ocean to embrace freedom and to start their new lives in the United States.
Since in the old mythology the egg symbolizes new life, it became a perfect medium of choice for Daniela to showcase her artistic talents when starting her new life in the United States. The egg became not only a canvas for expressing her feelings through art and her desire to reconnect with her homeland’s traditions, but it also became a bridge to self realization and economic prosperity in a new country.
Engraving the image of the Statue of Liberty on an egg was a culmination point of Daniela’s artistic journey. She has built a bridge between old traditions and the New World. She was able to pursue a successful career as a folk artist by using her creativity to develop innovative designs in response to demands of the craft market.
Daniela stated that since spring of 1983 she decorated about 84,000 egg ornaments (an average of ten per day). If stacked in dozen size cartons, they would form “Daniela’s tower of Freedom”, about 1,750 feet tall, more than eleven times the size of the Statue of Liberty.
Daniela holds two degrees from Portland State University: an undergraduate degree in Marketing and a graduate degree in Social Work (MSW) and currently works in the field of Geriatric Social Work.
In the future Daniela plans to develop instructional programs that would teach others how to design classes and workshops to preserve traditional crafts in their communities.
The Egg Lady Jr.
The Story of Teresa Mahoney
Teresa was born in Portland, Oregon. Her mother Daniela is a Czech native and her father Patrick is from Portland, Oregon. Since Daniela became a folk artist after coming to the USA in fall of 1982, Teresa was exposed to cultural crafts from her early childhood and decorated her first egg at the age of two. Teresa frequently accompanied her mother to various art and craft events where she was helping to sell not only her mother’s egg art, but eventually her own when at the age of ten her artwork of quality to sell. She was amazed that people were willing to pay for her artwork….However, Teresa did not enjoy all aspects of the “egg business” because of long work hours, low pay and a lot of stress teaching unruly children how to decorate eggs in outdoor settings. She frequently joked about developing a fear of “white tents” that were the landmark of art and craft outdoor events.
Teresa was a talented student excelling in visual arts, writing and languages first in the Portland French School and later in a parochial middle school and highschool in Portland, Oregon. Yet Teresa’s childhood and adolescence were filled not only with joy and excitement, but also with sadness and fear. Her brother Patrick, two and half years her senior, was diagnosed autistic at the age of four and Teresa faced the challenge of interacting with him on daily basis never knowing what to anticipate since her brother’s behavioral reactions were unpredictable. Because of Patrick, however, Teresa has developed patience and compassion for people with disabilities and as a teenager volunteered with Special Olympics of Oregon as a ski coach and as a camp councelor with Mount Hood Kiwanis camp that serves people with disabilities in Summer.
In spite of her own diagnosis with Crohn’s disease, Teresa pursued her dreams of obtaining higher education and enrolled into Loyola Marymount University School of business in Los Angeles. She graduated with honors in 2009. Upon graduation she returned back to Portland to build her career in Marketing and business.
In Summer of 2009, to great delight of her mother, Teresa decided to search for her identity and chose to embarque on the journey of self discovery by participating in the National Czech and Slovak Cultural Pageant. This was her second time around. The first time, in 2005, Teresa got a taste of the Pageant representing Oregon, but did not receive any awards. Now, in 2009, she felt better equipped to succeed in the quest for talent appreciation and awards. Dressed in a beautiful two hundred years old costume/dress from Nivnice in the Czech republic, Teresa presented a moving speech about none other than the EGGS.
Teresa’s mother was seated in the audience and listened with amazement as Teresa addressed the audience with asking a “question that has baffled scientists and academics for years”: Which came first – the chicken or the egg?” In one part of her speech Teresa stated:
“For as long as I can remember, the art of egg decorating has played a vital role in my family’s livelihood. After my mother immigrated from the communist torn Czechoslovakia in 1980 and came to the United States in 1982 to marry my father, she decided to reconnect with the one thing that offered her comfort in a distant and unfamiliar land – her heritage. Her new life in America began with the egg. Not unlike many of our Czech and Slovak ancestors, decorating eggs was her first source of economic freedom in the United States. She humbly embarked on her enterpreneurial journey selling these ornaments on sidewalk corners and street fairs in Portland, OR. Today, her business flourishes with distribution across the country.”
Teresa than offers a unique look into her own experience with the egg art:
“As a curious and eager young child, I was entranced by this seemingly miraculous process. So at the ripe age of two, I begged and pleaded with my mother to make an attempt at this intriguiging activity. At her approval and under the guidance of her practiced hand, I finally alleviated my curiosity and drew a line on my very first hand-made egg”.
Teresa concluded her speech by encouraging people to search for deeper meanings behind their customs and traditions, to be passionate about their heritage, to embrace it and to share it with the rest of the world. Teresa said: “Don’t be afraid to stand out in a crowd…..We must be proud of where we came from, because in the long run, it will guide us to where we want to go….Though I am a first generation American living in the United States, I will never forget who I am and where I came from: I am an artist, I am Czech and I am proud!”
People in the audience applauded, Teresa’s mother cried touched by Teresa’s statements about her deep connection to her roots and heritage.
Teresa won the first prize for her moving speech and also received an award for the best traditional costume. Overall, Teresa became the First Runner Up, as she placed second in the pageant. Her mother joked saying that Teresa became the “vice queen”. That evening changed Teresa’s life. She was recognized as a speech writer and an upbeat story teller who moved the audiences from laughter to tears in a short period of time creating a lasting impact.
Upon return to Oregon, Teresa was encouraged by her success as a writer and a public speaker and decided to explore professional opportunities in the field of media. She pursued an internship in the Portland Monthly magazine as a writer and also interned in a local TV station where she got exposed to different facets of TV news reporting. To improve her multi media communication skills Teresa took journalism and writing classes at the Portland Community College. One of her professors was a graduate from Columbia University of New York school of Journalism Master’s Program. He encouraged Teresa to apply to Columbia. She did apply and wrote several essays….one of them was about her life, her brother, her mother and none other that the EGGS.
Teresa was accepted to Columbia University of New York school of Journalism Master’s program with a projected date of graduation of May of 2012. Teresa specializes in digital media and hopes to work in the field of documentary film production to tell the stories of interesting people…who made a difference.